Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between ninth grade students’ metacognitive self-regulation skills and physics self-efficacy beliefs and their critical thinking. To this end, 162 students attending the ninth grade participated in the study. Critical thinking scale, metacognitive self-regulation scale and physics self-efficacy scale were used as data collection tools in the study. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, pearson product moment correlation analysis, and stepwise multiple regression analysis. According to descriptive analysis results the students’ critical thinking, metacognitive self-regulation and physics self-efficacy beliefs were high. Moreover, stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that the students’ metacognitive self-regulation and physics self-efficacy belief scores were significant predictors of their critical thinking scores, explaining 55 % of the variance of critical thinking scores. In addition, it was also determined that the main variable that best explained critical thinking was metacognitive self-regulation, explaining 53 % of variance.
Highlights
In today's fast-paced knowledge, students need to have some skills in selecting useful information, evaluating the truth of information, and making decisions
The aim of this study is to investigate to what extent ninth grade students’ metacognitive self-regulation and physics self-efficacy beliefs predict their critical thinking
The survey model was used in this study because the relationships between ninth grade students’ critical thinking, metacognitive self-regulation and physics self-efficacy beliefs are investigated (Fraenkel & Wallen, 2009)
Summary
In today's fast-paced knowledge, students need to have some skills in selecting useful information, evaluating the truth of information, and making decisions. Students who with a high level of self-efficacy belief in science courses prefer to deal with more difficult problems, make more effort to succeed, and are persistent to complete a task assigned to them even if they encounter obstacles (Pajares, 1996) They use self-regulation strategies to be successful (Schunk & Pajares, 2005). The aim of this study is to investigate to what extent ninth grade students’ metacognitive self-regulation and physics self-efficacy beliefs predict their critical thinking. To achieve this aim, the following sub-problems have been determined for the study: 1. What are the contributions of metacognitive self-regulation and physics self-efficacy beliefs on critical thinking?
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